A ban on assault weapons won't be included in major gun legislation set to take shape this week -- all but guaranteeing it won't pass Congress.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a onetime ally of the National Rifle Association, informed California Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Monday that the proposal to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines won't be included in a broad package of new gun laws that's taking shape this week and will be considered on the Senate floor in April.

I know it is seen as a potential negative, because the other legislation is more likely to pass without the AWB ban, but I do look at it as a good sign that the D's are willing to dump this meaningless legislation.

As far as I can tell they're trying to make it look like they're solving a problem, by creating useless problematic legislation. It becomes more and more obvious as they buttfumble around amidst criticism from their peers. So, yeah, being pathetically useless isn't as bad as being willfully evil. It's still unacceptable behavior from our federal government.

They’re moving forward with increasing restrictions in the form of more background checks and gun registrations. Is that not a big enough step for you?

I haven't seen anything about changing the law regarding manufacturing firearms for personal use. It's a pain in the ass to have to go that route, but it is a route for people who are serious about gun ownership.

So...they aren't going to take away anyone's guns? I thought they were going to take away guns so that they could control the citizens or something similar.

Uh..."they" already started:

Thirty-two year old Benjamin Wassell of Silver Creek has become the first victim in New York’s unconstitutional SAFE Act. That’s right, I used the term “victim” because these are completely unlawful laws being enforced.
The western New Yorker is apparently the first person to be charged with violating the state’s unconstitutional gun law.

According to state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Mr. Wassell was charged on Thursday with three felonies related to the sale of illegal weapons.

According to Schneiderman, Wassell twice sold weapons (semi-automatic rifles) that New York decided they wanted to ban in clear violation of the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Officials claim that Wassell sold the weapons later in the same month that the SAFE Act was passed and again in February. He sold the weapons along with 300 rounds of ammunition.

Now, here comes the interesting part and to demonstrate that this has nothing to do with legality, but about disarmament. Wassell was released on his own recognizance, though he is charged with numerous felonies.

I haven't seen anything about changing the law regarding manufacturing firearms for personal use. It's a pain in the ass to have to go that route, but it is a route for people who are serious about gun ownership.

You’ve lost me. Mostly what I’ve read has been about registering guns already in private possession and increasing the scope of background checks.

The shoot for the moon with the shock and awe fear tactics and "settling" for less is not an uncommon political or even financial bargaining tactic. Agents do it every day to maximize their clients payday.

If it passes it's a short term small step win and lets the sheep feel like "It could have been worse", all the while you're planning the next move to keep the slow and steady train moving in your direction.

You’ve lost me. Mostly what I’ve read has been about registering guns already in private possession and increasing the scope of background checks.

They are also going after transactions. They want to put up some severe punishments for gun traffickers, and I imagine that they would enforce registration at the point of sale. If you make your own lower you just buy an 80% finished piece of metal and do the rest yourself. The transaction isn't controlled by gun laws and you aren't required to report anything to the government because you made the weapon yourself.